his other guests, some of whom are already hurrying out of the door.
You take hold of the Prince's arm and pull him along as you move towards the tavern door. The Cavalians fix you with murderous stares as you leave, but they do not attempt to follow you. Once you are outside, you hurry across to the stables to fetch your horses.
You are about to enter when suddenly you notice the body of a young boy lying partially buried beneath a heap of straw. By the colour and cut of his clothing, you recognize the body to be that of the stable boy who took charge of your horses when you first arrived here. Swiftly you unsheathe your Kai Weapon as you enter the stables. Your caution is justified, for as soon as you pass through the stable door, you are attacked by six Cavalian bandits who have been lying in wait for you and Karvas to appear.
Illustration II —As soon as you pass through the stable door, you are attacked by six Cavalian bandits.
Cavalian Bandits: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 36
You may add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this combat, for Prince Karvas is helping you to fight these murdering bandits.
If you win the combat in three rounds or less, turn to 215 .
If it takes you four rounds or more to win this combat, turn to 103 .
36
The Marshal of the Guard orders his men to confiscate all of your Weapons and equipment. Then he marches you and Karvas under close escort to the cells below the main hall, where you are shackled to the wall in irons. Karvas is shocked by this brutal treatment and he cannot fathom a reason why Lodamos would treat you both this way.
An hour passes before the door to the cell is thrown open and in strides Baron Lodamos, escorted by a bodyguard of his toughest men-at-arms. Prince Karvas pleads for your immediate release, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.
‘Do you not recognize me, my lord?’ he asks. ‘Do you not remember the days we spent hunting wild boar in the Ioma Forest?’
‘The resemblance is uncanny, I grant you that,’ replies Lodamos, ‘but you are another impostor, another of Sadanzo's sorcerous creations sent here to assassinate me.’
The Baron holds up the Stone Dagger that was found in your Backpack. ‘You have a persuasive tongue,’ he says, ‘but here I hold proof that you are assassins. This evil blade is the instrument with which you intended to slay me. See, it is already stained with the blood of those you have slain before. No goodly men would carry such a weapon for their own defence.’
Desperately you try to explain how the Stone Dagger came into your possession, how you discovered it in the hut in the Dammerdon Mountains. Unfortunately your hurried explanation does little to help. Baron Lodamos has already made up his mind that you are assassins in the pay of Baron Sadanzo, sent here to murder him, and he will not be convinced otherwise.
The Baron turns to the sergeant of his bodyguard and orders him to have his men prepare their weapons. A cold shiver runs down your spine when you see that these men-at-arms are equipped with crossbows that are cocked and loaded, ready to fire. The sergeant gives the order. The guards raise their bows and take aim. Prince Karvas begs the Baron to reconsider but it is now too late. Lodamos hurls the Stone Dagger to the floor, smashing it to pieces, and then he spins on his heel and strides out of the cell without looking back. With a grunt, his sergeant gives the order to fire and his men release their volley of deadly missiles. Death is mercifully swift.
Tragically, your life and your mission end here in the dungeons of the Varedo Citadel.
38
The lightning bolt strikes the skyship's hull directly below the helm, rendering you unconscious as the concussive force of the blast was transmitted through the deck (lose 5 ENDURANCE points).
On regaining consciousness you discover that the
Starstrider
is now more than 5 miles clear of the fissures. As your vision slowly clears you see that
You take hold of the Prince's arm and pull him along as you move towards the tavern door. The Cavalians fix you with murderous stares as you leave, but they do not attempt to follow you. Once you are outside, you hurry across to the stables to fetch your horses.
You are about to enter when suddenly you notice the body of a young boy lying partially buried beneath a heap of straw. By the colour and cut of his clothing, you recognize the body to be that of the stable boy who took charge of your horses when you first arrived here. Swiftly you unsheathe your Kai Weapon as you enter the stables. Your caution is justified, for as soon as you pass through the stable door, you are attacked by six Cavalian bandits who have been lying in wait for you and Karvas to appear.
Illustration II —As soon as you pass through the stable door, you are attacked by six Cavalian bandits.
Cavalian Bandits: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 36
You may add 5 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this combat, for Prince Karvas is helping you to fight these murdering bandits.
If you win the combat in three rounds or less, turn to 215 .
If it takes you four rounds or more to win this combat, turn to 103 .
36
The Marshal of the Guard orders his men to confiscate all of your Weapons and equipment. Then he marches you and Karvas under close escort to the cells below the main hall, where you are shackled to the wall in irons. Karvas is shocked by this brutal treatment and he cannot fathom a reason why Lodamos would treat you both this way.
An hour passes before the door to the cell is thrown open and in strides Baron Lodamos, escorted by a bodyguard of his toughest men-at-arms. Prince Karvas pleads for your immediate release, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.
‘Do you not recognize me, my lord?’ he asks. ‘Do you not remember the days we spent hunting wild boar in the Ioma Forest?’
‘The resemblance is uncanny, I grant you that,’ replies Lodamos, ‘but you are another impostor, another of Sadanzo's sorcerous creations sent here to assassinate me.’
The Baron holds up the Stone Dagger that was found in your Backpack. ‘You have a persuasive tongue,’ he says, ‘but here I hold proof that you are assassins. This evil blade is the instrument with which you intended to slay me. See, it is already stained with the blood of those you have slain before. No goodly men would carry such a weapon for their own defence.’
Desperately you try to explain how the Stone Dagger came into your possession, how you discovered it in the hut in the Dammerdon Mountains. Unfortunately your hurried explanation does little to help. Baron Lodamos has already made up his mind that you are assassins in the pay of Baron Sadanzo, sent here to murder him, and he will not be convinced otherwise.
The Baron turns to the sergeant of his bodyguard and orders him to have his men prepare their weapons. A cold shiver runs down your spine when you see that these men-at-arms are equipped with crossbows that are cocked and loaded, ready to fire. The sergeant gives the order. The guards raise their bows and take aim. Prince Karvas begs the Baron to reconsider but it is now too late. Lodamos hurls the Stone Dagger to the floor, smashing it to pieces, and then he spins on his heel and strides out of the cell without looking back. With a grunt, his sergeant gives the order to fire and his men release their volley of deadly missiles. Death is mercifully swift.
Tragically, your life and your mission end here in the dungeons of the Varedo Citadel.
38
The lightning bolt strikes the skyship's hull directly below the helm, rendering you unconscious as the concussive force of the blast was transmitted through the deck (lose 5 ENDURANCE points).
On regaining consciousness you discover that the
Starstrider
is now more than 5 miles clear of the fissures. As your vision slowly clears you see that
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